Folding scythe



Sept. y3() 1924.

H. INMON FOLDING SCYTHE 2 Sheets-Shea- 1 Filed Feb. a, 1922 Sept. 30 1924.

g sheets-snee'. 2

H. INMON FOLDING SCYTHE Filed Fe b. 8, 1922 fof-a.

Patented Sept. 3Q,

HERMAN INMON, 0F HUBILEY, MXSSO'RI.

FOLDING SCYTHE.

Application filed February 8, 1922.

T 0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that HERMAN NMON, a citi- Zen of the United States of America, residing at Hurley, in the county of Stone and State of lvlissouri, has invented new and useful lniprovements in Folding Scythes, of which the following is a specication.

The object of the invention is to provide a convertible mowing scythe and brush hook having means whereby the angle of the scythe blade with reference to the snathe may be varied not only to adapt the implement to be used either as a mowing Scythe or a brush hook but to be arranged in edge protecting connection with the snathe and in position to facilitate sharpening on `a grinding stone or like instrument without detaching the blade from the snathe; and with these objects in view the invention consists in a construction and combination of parts of which a preferred embodiment is shown in the accompanying drawings7 wherein Figure 1 is a view of a Scythe showing the blade in full lines in its' mowing and in dotted lines in its brush hook positions.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the blade in full lines in its folded and in dotted lines in its exposed or sharpening position.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail view partly in section of the joint or mounting of the blade.

Figure l is a detail view of the locking arm detached.

Figure 5 is a detail view of the pivotal end of the Scythe blade.

Figure 6 is a detail view showing the manner in which a locking device engages the shoulder in the pivotal head.

Figure 7 is a detail sectional view showing the resilient means by which the locking device is maintained in position for engage ment with the pivotal hea-di The Scythe4 and snathe 10 be of any preferred or conventional formV with the blade 11 pivotally mounted in a crotch or bifurcation preferably being fitted with a U-shaped rail plate 13 through which the Scythe pivot bolt 111 extends, said bolt being fitted with a suitable rail or bearing sleeve 15. The Scythe handle has one end bifure cated, as at 10a. The adjacent faces of the jaws caused to be formed by the bifurcation are recessed for the reception of the U- shaped rail plate 13, as shown clearly in Figures 3 and 6.

Serial No. 534,915.

The disk-like pivotal end or head 1G of the blade, having an opening 17 for the pivotal bolt is provided with a plurality o f shoulders 1'?, 1S and 19 with adjacent angularly disposed bearing faces 1T, 18a and 19 for respective and selective engagement by the adjacent free end or tongue 2O of a locking bar 21 which is provided with an intermediate enlargement 22 having a slot 23 for the reception of a bolt 24 extending transversely through the body portion of the snathe near the fork or bifurcation thereof, the opposite or inner end of said locking bar being slotted as indicated at 25 for the reception of retaining bolts Q6 upon which is fitted the washer plate 27 and which are engaged by the nuts 28. The locking bar is firmly attached by means of the bolts 2G to the snathe but is of resilient or yielding construction adapting it to bc sprung outwardly from the snathe at the tongue or free end 20 to permit of its adjustment in engagement with different shoulders 17, 18 and 19 of the blade head7 the surface of the tongue 28 bearing upon the surfaces 17, 18a and 19EL respectively according to the adjustment of the blade @ne ofthe jaws caused to be formed by the bin furcation 10a and one Sidegof the U-shaped rail plate 13 have registering slots 10" and 13a to permit of the reception of the tongue or free end 2O of the locking bar 217 where by the tongue may engage any one of the shoulders 17, 18 and 19.

Fitted upon the bolt 24: in contact with the snathe is a washer 29 upon which bears a coil spring SO held at the desired tension by a nut 31 threaded upon the bolt 211, and enclosing said spring and adjusting nut and removably threaded upon the washer 29, 'to protect said spring and nut and prevent the same from catching trash, grain, grass and other materials in connection with which the Scythe is bein(r used, is a guard 82 which, however, is in the form of a thimble and does not interfere with the outward spring of the tongue end of the locking bar in opposition to its resilience and the pressure of the spring 3() to effect an adjustment angularly of the Scythe blade.

FVhen the Scythe blade is in position for engagement of its shoulder 17 by the locking bar 21 it is adapted for use as a mowing Scythe whereas an adjustment of said blade to effect engagement of the tongue 2O with the shoulder 1S disposes the blade at a more acute an.C e with the snathe so as to adapt it for use a. a brush hook as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 1. Ordinarily it is necessary to provide tuo different implements for use respectively in the mowing operation and in clearing aivay brush or cutting close to fences or border lines Whereas by the construction herein disclosed it is possible to adjust the blade from time to time to suit the dilii'erent kinds of Work and thus avoid the necessity of carrying a plurality of `i iplements.

.Further iore when the scythe is not in use the blade may oe folded to engage the shoulder 19 with the tongue 2O as shown in full lines in Figure 2 Where the edge of the blade is locled close to the snathe and with the extremity thereof received in a suitable yseat 33 therein s that saidhead is protected and at the same time the risk of injury to persons handling the same either alone or in connection with other implements is minimized. @n the other hand When it is desired to sharpen or grind the scythe blade it may be released by the locking bar and swung to the opposite side of the snathe as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 2 so as to expose or dispose the cutting edge downwardly to thereby avoid the necessity of dismounting the blade from the handle. In using the scythe, the blade 11 being closed when the scythe is not in use, the operator may spring the locking bar 21 laterally of the snathe in any suit-able manner, for instance. by inserting an instrument not shown) between the locking bar and the side of the snatlie or handle, causing the spring to be compressed. lllhen the locltingr bar in locling engagement With one of the shoulders 1'?, 18 and 19, the extremity of its tongue engages in the slot of the U- shaped rail plate 13. Howe-ver, the tongue 2O of the locking bar. engages at all times through the slot 10b of one of the forks caused to be formed by the bifurcation 10a. When the locking bar is sprung laterally of the snathe or handle, the extremity of the tongue moves out of the path of the shoulder with which it engages, thus permitting the blade 11 to be openedg `When the blade V is opened, the tongue 2O of the locking bar maybe allowed to engage with either of the shoulders 1T or 1S.. lf engaged with the shoulder 1S, the blade may be held sub stantially at righi angles to the snathe but, if engaged with the shoulder 17, the blade 4may be held substantially in alignment with the snathe or handle. llhen it is desired to close the blade, it is simply necessary to move it upon its pivot 111, it being unnecessary to use a tool or instrument to pry the locking bar laterally of the snathe. In. fact, in moving the blade to a closed position` the tongue `vill merely yield in a direction radially from the pivot 14, the extremity of the tongue riding over the surfaces 1'?FL and 18a and finally engagingV with the surface 19EL and the shoulder 19.

Thev adjacent surfaces of the Washer plate 27 and the lockingl bar 21 have transverse Serrat-ions or teeth 25h and 25a which interengage to retain the Alocking bar in rigid position, not only preventing a sliding movement of the bar 21 .but also preventing any slight pivotal movement when the tongue rieles over Vthe surfaces 17a' and 18a. The slots 25 in the toothedend of the locking bar are provided forthe purpose of, permitting the locking bar to be set, so that its tongue may engage in one of the shoulders 17, 18 and 19. The slot 23 is also elongated to not only permit longitudinal adjustment. of the locking bar 21 to permit it to be set in order to properly engage any one of the shoulders, but is large enough to per-V mit ya slight movement of the locking bar when the tongue 2O springs over the surfaces 172t and 18a. It is obvious that if the locking bar 21 is adjusted in a direction toward the rear end of thehandle or snathe, the tongue 20, When engaged With the shoulder 18,-Will hold the bladeat a dierent anglev than at right angles to the handle of the snathe.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as nevi and useful is 1. A scythe having a snathe, a blade pivotally mounted upon the snathe for swinging movement in the plane ofits Width and provided at its pivotal end with a disk head having a plurality of shoulders and adjacent bearing faces, a. yielding locking bar carried by the snathe for selective engagement with said shoulders to lock the blade in different adjusted positions With relation to the snathe, and a yieldingly held lon* gitudinally movable guide bolt extending through the snathe and through said locking bar adjacent its free end to permit yielding lateral movement of said locking bar for disengagement from said shoulders.

2. A Scythe having a. snathe, a blade pivotally mounted upon the snathe for swinging-'movement in the plane of its width and provided at its pivotal end With a disk head having a plurality of shoulders and adjacentebearing faces, a yielding locking bar carried by the snathe for selective engagement With said shoulders to lock the blade in different adjusted positions With relation to the snathe, a guide bolt extending through the snathe andsaid locking bar adjacent to its free end, a coil spring fitted upon said bolt for yieldingly holding the blade engaging end of the locking bar in its normal position and a nut threaded upon said bolt for tensioning the spring.

3.1i. Scythe having -a snathe, a blade pivotally mounted upon the snathe for swinging movement in the plane of its. Width lli) and provided at its pivotal end with a disk head having a plurality of shoulders and adjacent bearing faces, a yielding locking bar carried by the snathe for selective engagement With said shoulders to lock the blade in different adjusted positions With relation to the snathe, a guide bolt extending through the snathe and said locking bar adjacent to its free end7 a Coil spring fitted upon said bolt for yieldingly holding the blade engaging end of the looking bar in its normal position, a nut threaded upon said bolt for tensioning the spring, and a guard disposed in enclosing relation With lsaild spring and adjacent portion of said 4. A soythe having a snathe, a blade pivotally mounted upon the snathe for swinging movement in the plane of its Width and provided at its pivotal end with a disk head having a plurality of shoulders and adjacent bearing faces, a yielding looking bar carried by the snathe for selective engagement with said shoulders to look the blade in diierent adjusted positions With relation to the sua-the, a guide bolt eXtending through the snathe and looking bar, a Washer threaded upon the guide bolt in contact with the snathe, a coil spring carried by the guide bolt in bearing Contact With said Washer, a nut threaded upon the guide bolt and tensioning the spring, and a guard enclosing said spring and tensioning nut and having threaded engagement With said Washer.

In testimony whereof he ailixes his signature.

HERMAN INMONn 

